Cigar-case.



i No. 637,85. Patented nec. s, mm;

' -s. P. time.-`

v GIGAR CASE.

(Applica-tion led July 2 0, 190D.) (llo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

/nesses: Jq- 1721/6722227' YH: Nonms Ferias co, PnofoAumo., wAsNsNsToN, D. rz.

PATENT FFICE SHERMAN P. COE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ClGAR-CASE.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,815, dated December 3, 1901.

Application filed July Z0, 1900. Serial No. 24,289( (No model.)

fTo afZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, SHERMAN P. COE, a citifzen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, J ack-son county, Missouri, have invented e a new and Iuseful Cigar-Case,'of which the following 'is a specification.`

My invention relates to displayrases for cigars and other-articles which it is designed lthe purchaser shall 'select andrcach into the no case to withdraw; and-it consists, essentially,

of a case, preferably transparent, having itsV front side in the form of a counterbalanced ldoor and means to reciprocate Athe door vertically and give or shutoff access to the con- L tents ofthe case.

The object of the invention is to produce a case of the character above outlined which is quick, easy, and noiseless of operation, ornamentalin appearance, and simple, strong, du- 2go `rable, and approximately as cheap as an or- (dinary case of the-same style, size, and finish.

Tothese ends the invention further conlsists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a cigar-case embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section showing the ball-bearing for the sliding door. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the same scale as Fig. 4 to further disclose the ballbearing construction of said door. Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section of the back of the case, showing the handle-carrying crosshead provided with wheels or rollers to reduce friction to the minimum.

It is the well-known custom of cigar dealers to reach into the case fromv behind, take out a number of cigars, and lay them on the top of the case for the purchaser to select the one he desires. It is the, practice also to remove the box and place it upon the case in contravention of law. These methods are objectionable for the reason that practically all of the cigars in each box have to be repeatedly handled and for the further reason that the boxes and cigars need to be rearranged at frequent intervals, so that the case shall always present a neat and attractive appearance.

The object of my invention is to eliminate these objectionable features by the provision of a case which will permit the purchaser to reach therein and select the cigar or cigars he desires without removing the box or disturbing its contents.

Referring now to the detail construction, l designates a case ot' rectangular forn1,by preference consisting of the back wall 2, of wood or equivalent material, a transparent top 3, transparent sides 4, and the lower portion of its front side, as at 5, of wood, by preference, said portion extending a little above the horizontal shelf 6, and above said shelf and forining the upper fr ont portion is a transparent door 7 the same, like the transparent or glass sides of the case, being framed in Wood in the customary or any preferred manner. This door is arranged to slide vertically at the rear side of front portion 5 and through the slot 8, formed between the same and the front edge of the horizontal shelf 6, and may have a tonguc-and-groove connection,"as shown at 9, with the front corners of the frame. It is preferred, however, in order that the door may operate more easily and noiselessly, that a ball-bearing relation be established between its vertical edges and the frame, and to this end the latter is provided with a vertical groove 10, equal to the height of the door plus the distance it travels, (see Fig. 2,) and the door is provided in its vertical edges with the similar grooves 11, closed at its ends by plates 12, one only of which appears (see Fig. 5)`to hold in said grooves a series of balls 13, which operate in grooves or races 10 and 1l. Midway its length the doorfis provided with adepending arm 14, from which projects inwardly a pin 15, connected to a cable or flexible connection 16, the same being guided over pulleys 17, journaled in brackets 18, suspended from shelf 6, and connected at its opposite end to the' counterbalance-weight 19, arranged to reciprocate in the vertical space formed between the back wall and the guide 20, erected upon the bottom of the case.

21 designates a vertical slot in the back wall of the case and extending from the bottom nearly to the top thereof, a plate 22, secured IOO dle.

to the back wall, closing said slot and provided with a narrower slot 23, registering with the upper half of slot 2l and formed with an offset 24 at its lower end, for a purpose which hereinafter appears.

25 designates an angular rod connected at its lower end to the cable adjacent to weight 19 and having its long or vertical portion occupying slot 21 and secured at its upper end to the cross-head 26, said cross-head being of suitable length to prevent any undue lateral play in the comparatively wide slot 2l, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 6. The crosshead is also provided with the rearwardlyprojecting boss 27, tting snugly in groove 23, and screwed or otherwise secured to said boss is a handle 28, by which the dealer, with the slightest of pressure upward or downward thereon,is enabled to lower or elevate the sliding door.

To lock the door in its closed position, the operator shoves the handle to one side into the registering offset 24 of slot 23, and this makes it necessary before the door can be opened for the handle to be again brought into vertical alinement with slot 23. With the cross-head tting snugly in slot 2l it would be impossible to thus shunt the han- Consequently the said slot is provided with a registering offset, as shown at 2l, to receive the cross-head in the lateral Inoveinent of the handle. To insure a perfectlystraight'reciprocation of the handle and at the same time reduce friction to the minimum, the outer ends of the cross-head may be bifurcated, as at 29, (see Fig. 6,) and carry therein wheels or rollers 30 to engage the opposite sides of slot 23.

Assuming that the case is closed and locked by the engagement of handle 28 with the offset 24 of slot 23, the cigars in boxes upon shelf 6 and placed upon said shelf through the doors 3l in the back wall are placed within reach of the purchaser by moving said handle laterally and upward in slot 23, this action being effected easily and noiselessly, be-

cause the door is counterbalanced and is mounted on ball-bearings. The door is reelevated or closed as easily by simply depressing the handle and is locked to prevent a person at the front of the case from opening the door by shunting the handle into the offset 24.

The bottom of the case, as it forms no spe- .cial part of this invention, need not be rel claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n l. A cigar-case, provided with a slot in one wall, and an opening in another, through which opening the purchaser has access to the contents of the case, a door arranged to slide and close or expose said opening, a crosshead arranged to reciprocate in said slot, a handle connected to the cross-head, a counterbalance-weight conected to the handle, and a flexible connection between said Weight and the door, substantially as described.

2. A cigar-case, provided with a slot in its back wall, a shelf, and a slot at the front edge of the shelf, a door arranged to reciprocate vertically through the last-named slot,a crosshead arranged to reciprocate in the slot in the back wall, a rod attached to the cross-head, a iiexible connection between said rod and the door, a handle connected to the crosshead and projecting through the slot of the back wall, and means to counterbalance the weight of the door and assist the operator to elevate it, substantially as described.

3. A cigar-case, provided with a slot in one Wall, and an opening through which the purchaser has access to the contents of the case, a sliding door to cover or uncover said opening, a handle arranged to reciprocate in said slot, a counterbalance-weight connected to the handle, a cable suitably guided and connected at its front end to the door and at its rear end to said weight, and a rod depending from the handle and connected to elevate said Weight and thereby open said door, substantially as described. y

4. A cigar-case provided with a slot in its back wall, a shelf and a slot at the front edge of the shelf, a door arranged to reciprocate vertically through the last-named slot, and give or shut off access to the interior of the case above said shelf, a cross-head arranged to reciprocate in said vertical slot, a weight connected to said cross-head, a flexible connection suitably guided between said weight and the door, and a handle secured to the cross-head to reciprocate the latter, substantially as described.

5. A cigar-case provided with a vertical slot in the back wall, a plate closing the upper side of said slot and provided with a narrower vertical slot registering with the upper por; tion of the last-named slot and having an offset at its lower end, a shelf, a slot at the front edge of said shelf, a door arranged to reciprocate vertically through the last-named slot and give or shut off access to the interior of the case above said shelf, a cross-head arranged to reciprocate vertically in the backwall slot, a rod occupying said slot and secured at its upper end tov the cross-head, a weight suitably guided,.pulleys suspended from theshelf, an arm depending from the door, a iiexible connection engaging said pulleys and attached at its opposite ends to said arm and said weightwand also attached esame S to said rod, and a handle secured to the crosssaidguideway, the upper and lower walls of head and projecting through the slot having the slot forming stops for the handle, as set the offset, substantially as described. forth.

6. A cover-support, comprising a oord con- In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 neeted at one end with a cover, pulleys over in the presence of two witnesses.

which passes said cord, a oounterweight on I the other end of the cord, a fixed and 1ongi SHERMAN P' OOE tudinallyslotted guideway for the counter- Witnesses: weight, and a handle on said counter-Weight H. C. RODGERs, 1o and extending through the elongated slot in G. Y. THORPE. 

